Apparatus for packing units of material



Dec. 8, 19 H.'L. DlEHL 2,304,342

APPARATUS FOR PACKING UNITS OF MATERIAL Filed March 29, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Dec. 8, 1942. H, .L. IVDIEHL 2,304,342

APPARATUS FOR PACKING UNITS OF MATERIAL Filed March 29, 1940 7 Sheets-Slant 2 Dec. 8, 1942. H. L. DIEHL APPARATUS FOR PACKING UNITS OF MATERIAL 7 Sheets-Shet 3 Filed March 29, 1940 I INVENTOR l ATTORNEY. V

H. L. DIEHL APPARATUS FOR PAQKING UNITS OF MATERIAL Filed March 29, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY.

Dec. 8, 1942.

H. L. DIEHL APPARATUS FOR PACKING UNITS OF MATERIAL Filed March 29, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 T-rmwwm ATTORNEY Dec. s,- 1942. H L, DIE L 2,304,342

APPARATUS FOR PACKING UNITS 0F MATERIAL Filed March 29'. 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet a INVENTOR. M if M 1% K ATTORNEY Dec.,8, 1942. A H L, mEHL 2,304,342

APPARATUS FOR PACKING UNITS OF MATERIAL Filed March 29, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 1NVEN TOR. v 79 ,1 ya Y /M 2: m 76" i 1% K TTORNEY Patented Dec. 8, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR PACKING UNITS OF MATERIAL The object of this invention is to devise a novel apparatus for assembling and packing articles in containers, and while not limited to such use, is

particularly adapted for automatically assembling and packing shredded wheat biscuits in the conventional cartons in which they are sold.

A further object of the invention is to devise a novel automatic machine which will assemble super-imposed layers of articles with separators between the layers in abasket, then move the assembled articles and separators as a unit upwardly into an inverted carton, and close the open flaps of the carton.

With the above and other objects in View, as will hereinafter clearly appear, my invention comprehends a novel apparatus for packing units of material.

It further comprehends a novel packing machine having novel mechanism for removing the articles from a conveyor as they are fed from the oven; novel mechanism for assembling them in superimposed layers with separators between adjoining layers in a basket; novelmechanism for removing them as a unit from a basket into an inverted container, and novel timing means for occasioning the cyclical operation of said mechanism.

It further comprehends other novel features of construction and advantage which will hereinafter be set forth in detail.

, For the purpose of illustrating the invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings a typical embodiment of it, which, in practice, will give satisfactory and reliable results. It is, however, to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized, and my invention is not limited to the exact arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein set forth.

Figures 1 and 2 are top plan views of a machine embodying my invention, with certain of the parts omitted for the sake of clearness of illusof a basket on an enlarged scale.

Figure 8 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale and partly in section of a transfer box.

Figure 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is an end view in section of a conveyor.

Figure 11 is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale of a carton container.

Similar numerals indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings:

I designates the frame of the machine, having any desired construction and arrangement.

The machine is driven by a motor 2, see Figures 3 and 5, the shaft of which has a sprocket wheel 3 to receive a sprocket chain 4 which passes around a sprocket wheel 5 fixed to a main driving shaft 6 suitably journalled in the frame of the machine.

A sprocket wheel I fixed to the shaft 6 has a sprocket chain 8 which passes around a sprocket wheel 9 fixed to a shaft H] suitably journalled in the machine frame.

The units of material, such as for example shredded wheat biscuits, are fed from a conventional oven, not shown, by a conveyor ll driven by drums I2, see Figure 3.

The main driving shaft 6 has a sprocket wheel l3 provided with a sprocket chain 14 which passes around a sprocket wheel l5 fixed to a shaft l6, journalled in the machine frame. The shaft 16 has one end of driving arms I! fixed to it and the other ends of such arms are pivotally connected with links [8, the forward ends of which are pivotally connected with a rod 20 which carries a pusher 21 having a flange 22 extending downwardly into proximity to the article conveyor H. The ends of the rod travel in endless tracks 23 in plates 24 having lower and upper stretches 25 and 26 connected at their front ends by an inclined stretch 21. A pivoted latch 28 causes the rod to travel rearwardly in the upper stretches so that the flange 22 of the pusher will be raised above the articles on the conveyor ll while the pusher is making its rearward stroke. The reciprocatory movements of the pusher moves a row of articles on the conveyor II over the table 29 and into a basket 30, in which the articles are assembled in rows one above the other with separators 3| between superimposed rows.

The article receiving baskets and their ady'uncts Referring now more particularly to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 7, each basket 30 has a closed bottom 32,

and spaced stops 3% between which ejectors 3? are adapted to pass to eject assembled articles from the basket as will be hereinafter explained.

The ejectors are connected with a bar 38 which passes through a grooved guide block 3G fixed to the rear wall of a basket.

In order to permit the raising and lowering of the baskets it during the operations of inserting the separators and the articles, a double link conveyor as is connected with shoes mounted in the guide blocks 39 and provided with rollers AZ which at times travel on the tracks Q3. The link conveyor passes around link wheels t lmounted on rods t forming a part of the machine frame, see Figure 3.-

In order to provide a take-up for any stretch of the conveyor links, alternate links havea turn buckle arrangement, the ends of a link being connected by a rod having a right and a left hand thread as at do, see Figure 11.

The downward movement of a basket is limited by a collar ll which engages a seat on a shoe ll, see Figure 7.

Some of the links of the conveyor have blocks 49 with inclined faces 543 at their forward end. A hydraulic cylinder iii has its plunger provided at its forward end with a pivoted l1 which moves in the path of theblocks t?) and is provided with a spring 53 to return it to its normal position as it is moved by the inclined face 58 of a block travelling by it. It will thus be clear that as-the hydraulic cylinder El is actuated the link conveyor and the baskets are intermittently advanced step by step.

The ejectors 3? are connected with the guide block 39 by springs tit which return the ejectors to their initial position within the basket.

Separators and their operating means The first step in the operation of filling the baskets is the assembling therein of spaced separators. The separators 3i, see Figure 3, are stacked in skeleton frames each being made of four upright angles and supported on the floor. A plate 56 is connected to the plunger of a hydraulic cylinder bl which provides a very slow upward travel of the stack of separators. The plate 58 is guided on four posts forming a part of the machine frame. A suction cup 53 rests on the top separator of a stack and is connected with the plunger of a suction cylinder 59 mounted on a'roller carriage mounted in channels 6i supported on posts forming a part of the machine'frame. One of the suction cylinders 59 is connecte'dwith the plunger of a hydraulic cylinder the operation of which is timed to move the separators ill at the proper time into the baskets so that they will be superimposed in spaced relationship, three baskets at a time, as illustrated, being supplied with separators.

The shaft ill, see Figure 3, hascams ti l cooperoil ating with rollers on rods 66 guided in guide brackets ti and having their upper ends adapted to engage the guide blocks 39 to effect at the proper times the positioning of baskets to receive Assembly o biscuits in the baskets The shaft t, see Figures 1 and 3, has three earns 68 fixed to it, and each of these cams co- -operateswith rollers ti) on rods "it guided on the machine frame and adapted to contact the bottoms of guide blocks 39. The top separators 3! in the baskets are now in alignment with the table 29. As the pusher 25 moves forwardly, it pushes three biscuits over the table 2t into each basket to rest on the top separator. lhis operation is repeated, baskets rising step by step until the baskets being filled have received four superimposed rows of biscuits. The arrangement illustrated assembles the biscuits simultaneously in tim s baskets, it of course being understood that any desired number of baskets may be supplied at the same time with biscuits depending on the range for which th machine is built.

The hydraulic cylinder 5i is operated to ad- Vance the link conveyor and three filled baskets til, at a time, so that the filled baskets will eventually reach the position seen in Figures 2 and 4 for the removal of an assembly of biscuits and separators into transfer boxes l l see also Figures 8 and 9. Each transfer box has its bottom side and rear wall closed, with its top open and a door E2 is provided to close the front opening of the transfer boxes. This door "i2 is pivotally mounted on shafts The doors '52 are opened when the assembled biscuits and separators are moved into the transfer boxes by their ejecto 's which are actuated by the plunger of hydraulic cylinder is, see Figure 4, through a member see Figure 2, propelly guided. The transfer boxes are mounted on a carriage movable in channels 'll' forming a part of a movable bed and are moved by the plunger of an hydraulic cylinder E8.

The door 72 is controlled by a fluid operated device, see more particularly Figures 8 and 9, comprising a fluid receiving casing is having a flapper 8S1 to the shaft on which the door i2 is mounted, and connected with the door by a wire %l. The casing has fluid supply and discharge lines communicating with the main supply and discharge lines 82.

The article uppcrting surface of each plunger is a plate connected with an hydraulic plunger 86.

'lransfeaof articles from transfer bores t0 containers When the transfer boxes ii are moved to the left of the position seen in Figure 4, spring pressed latches on a slide bar engage pins ti on the transfer boxes "it. til are fixed stops for the latches. The bar 36 slides on rails 39 suitably supported.

The transfer boxes are connected to move in unison and the bar 3 5 is moved to the left to be out of the way of articles being transferred from the transfer boxes to cartons 9% carried by rotatable carton holders bl.

The channel ll, transfer boxes El and cylinder '58 and their adjuncts are raised and lowered by four hydraulic cylinders 92, see also Figure 2.

The carton holders 5i have roller carriages 93 forming part of links i l which cooperate with sprocket wheels Q5 mounted on shafts 9E. The rollers travel at times in the lower channels 91 and upper channels it.

The carton holders are of skeleton construction and have their outer ends closed by bars 99 fixed to rock arms 66, on rods ldi on side bars i532. Springs I53 tend to retain the barspfiil in their open or closed position so that each will support vertical rows of superimposed articles. The rods Elli have contact arms est in the path of strips I05 controlled by hydraulic plunge-rs Hi l to move the strips to open position or closed position.

The cartons 90 are positioned by angles II carried by the bottom of a carton holder and the flaps of the carton are held open by spring clips I08. i

The conveyor for the carton holders is advanced by a hydraulic cylinder I09, see Figure 11, which moves a spring pressed arm IIO against an arm III carried by a roller carriage 93.

Timing and control mechanism The main driving shaft 6 has cam operated, program type, time controls of conventional construction, with the cams properly adjusted, and controlling solenoid valves. The shaft 6 has a series of cam controls H2, H3, H4, I15, II6, III, H8, H9, I20, I2I, and I22 controlling respectively solenoid valves I23, I24, I25, I26, I21, I28, I29, I30, I3I, I32, and I33, which, in proper sequence, control the different operating cylinders and their plungers.

The solenoid valve I23 controls supply and discharge lines I34 to cylinders I09 and I. The solenoid valve I24 controls supply and discharge lines I35 to cylinder I4. The solenoid valve I25 controls supply and discharge lines I39 to cylinders 92. The solenoid valve I26 controls supply and discharge lines I31 to cylinder 84. The solenoid valve I2! controls supply and discharge lines I38 to casing I9. The solenoid valve I28 controls supply and discharge lines I39 to cylinder I8. The solenoid valve I29 controls supply and discharge lines I40 to one set of cylinders I06. The solenoid valve I controls supply and discharge lines I4I to the other set of cylinders I06. The solenoid valve I3I controls supply and discharge lines I42 to cylinder 92. The solenoid valve I32 controls supply and discharge lines I43 to cylinders 59. The solenoid valve I33 controls supply and discharge lines I44 to suction cups 58.

The operation will now be apparent to those skilled in this art and is as follows:

The first step in the operation is the insertion of separators 3I into the baskets 30. Assuming that the motor 2 is started and sufficient pressure applied to the cylinder 5I to maintain the top separator at the proper height, suction is applied to suction cups 58, so that when hydraulic cylinder 59 is actuated, its plunger will raise the suction cups and thereby three separators into position to register with the separator supporting flanges of the angles of the baskets at separator station A. The cam 64 on shaft I0 is beginning to rise and when at .the highest point the separators carried by the suctioncups, when the cylinder 62 is operated, will move the separators into the baskets above their spacers 34. The suction on the suction cups 58 is released and the cylinder 62 returns the suction cups and cylinders 59 to the position seen in Figures 2 and 3. The cams 64 next lowers thethree baskets one step and the operation is repeated to insert the next row of separators. Then, the baskets are again lowered one step to insert the third row of separators.

The hydraulic cylinder 5| is now actuated to advance the link conveyor to bring other baskets 30 into position to receive separators.

The baskets having separators are intermittently advanced to station B, see Figure l, in position to receive the biscuits or other articles to be packed. At this time, the baskets 30 to be filled are positioned by the cams 68, see Figure 3, to receive the uppermost row of articles. The shaft I8 driven by sprocket chain 4, sprocket links I8 and arms II.

wheel 5, sprocket wheel I3, sprocket chain I4 and sprocket wheel I5 to reciprocate the pusher 2I by As the pusher 2I moves forwardly it moves a row of biscuits on the conveyor II into the three baskets above the upper separator. The rod 20 raises the latch 28 so that the rod makes its return stroke in the upper stretches of tracks 23 to raise the pusher above biscuits which may be on the conveyor II which is feeding a supply of biscuits from the oven. The cams 68 intermittently raise the baskets to be filled and the operation of assembling a unit of biscuits in the baskets 30 is repeated. The filled baskets now drop to their down position and the basket conveyor 40 is advanced to bring the filled baskets 38 into position C, see Figure 2, which is the transfer position for a unit of as-. sembled biscuits.

The transfer boxes II are now in the position seen in Figure 4 with their closure 12 in open. position. The cylinder I4 is now operated to move forwardly the member l5 and thereby the ejector members 38 to cause the ejectors 31, see also Figure '7, to move the three unit assemblies of biscuits from their baskets into the transfer boxes II. The cylinder I8 is now actuated to move the transfer boxes rearwardly and during the beginning of such travel, fluid is supplied to casing I9 to cause the arm to rock the shaft I3 in a direction to close the doors l2 and retain them in closed position. As the transfer boxes II travel rearwardly the hooks or latches engage the pins 81 and the bar 89 is moved rearwardly beyond the carton holders 9|. The carton holders have been supplied in any desired manner with cartons andthe outer flaps of the cartons. are held in open position by the spring clips I08. The bars 99 are now in their open position and are held open by the springs I03. The transfer boxes are now under the inverted cartons. The cylinders 92 are now actuated so that the tops of the transfer boxes come into contact with the inverted cartons. The cylinders 84 are actuated to move the assembly of biscuits into the cartons 90. The cylinder. I8 moves the transfer boxes II forwardly, the latches 85 being released by the fixed stops 88. The bars 99 are now moved to closed position to hold the biscuits in the cartons when cylinders 92 are next returned to their normal position, lowering the supporting bar.

The cylinder I09 now operates to move the conveyor 94 and the filled cartons are brought into upright position as seen at the upper end of Figure 10. The plunger rods I08 at the upper portion of Figure 10 operate to move the bars 99 into their open position. The filled cartons are then removed and the flaps sealed in any desired or conVentional manner.

For the first complete revolution of the basket conveyor, the second basket in line of travel at station A, would not automatically receive separators due to the position it assumes relatively to the separator feeding mechanism, and has the separators manually inserted, but thereafter the assembly of separators and biscuits in their baskets is entirely automatic during the operation of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new'and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a packing machine, an endless conveyor, baskets mounted on said conveyor to be raised and lowered, means to limit downward movement of a basket; separator mechanism having stacks of separators and means to feed separators from said stacks into said baskets, means to adjust the position of baskets to cause the separators to be spaced. therein, article feeding mechanism to, feed rows or articles into said baskets, means to move said baskets to cause the rows of articles to be superimposed with separators between the rows, and means including ejectors moi/"able within the baskets to transfer assembled units of articles and separators in the baskets into cartons.

2. In a packing machine, an endless conveyor, baskets mounted. on said conveyor to be raised and lowered, separatormeclianism to feed separators into said baskets, means to. adjust the position of baskets to cause the separators to be spaced therein, article feeding mechanism to feed rows of articles into said baskets, means to move said baskets to cause the rows of articles to be superimposed with separators between the rows, transfer boxes, means to move units from said baskets into said transfer boxes, and means to move the units from said transfer boxes into inverted cartons.

3. In a packing machine, an endless conveyor, baskets mounted on said conveyor to be raised and lowered, separator mechanism to feed separators into said baskets, means to adjust the position of baskets to cause the separators to be spaced therein, article feeding mechanism to feed rows of articles into said baskets, means to move said baskets to cause the rows of articles to be superimposed with separators between the rows, transfer boxes, means to eject as a unit articles and separators to said transfer boxes, carton holders, means to position the transfer boxes beneath inverted cartons in said carton holders, means to move the units from the transfer boxes into the cartons, and means to feed the carton holders into and from the position to receive the units.

4. In a packing machine, article feeding means, a conveyor movable in proximity to said feeding means, article receiving baskets carried by and raised and lowered relatively to the conveyor, separator means to feed separators into the baskets and having individual separators arranged in stacks, means to move rows or articles being fed into said baskets to thereby form with the separators assembled units, carton feeding means, transfer means including ejectors movable within the baskets to transfer units into the cartons of said carton feeding means, and means to occasion the cyclical operation of said conveyor, baskets, and all of said means.

5. In a packing machine, a conveyor, baskets movably carried thereby and of skeleton formation with the outer end open, spring tensioned ejectors vertically disposed in said baskets and relatively movable therein, means to actuate said conveyor, means to raise and lower said baskets,

means to feed articles into said baskets, and means to actuate said ejector-s.

6. In a packing machine, a conveyor, baskets vertically movable on said conveyor, and having superimposed, spaced separator supports, a stack of separators, a rod in alignment with and supporting a basket when the latter is brought by the conveyor into its separator receiving position, cam means to efiect the lowering of said rods to effect step by step lowering of said baskets, means to move individual separators from said stack into the baskets to rest on the separator supports, means to raise said baskets step by step at their article receiving positions, means to assemble articles in superimposed relation in a basket with a separator between adjacent rows, and means to move assembled articles and separators as a unit from a basket into a carton.

7. In a packing machine, a conveyor, baskets vertically movable on said conveyor, and having superimposed, spaced separator supports, a stack of separators, a rod in alignment with a basket when the latter is in its separator receiving position, and on which the basket is supported at such time, cam means to lower said rods to efiect step by step lowering of a basket, means to move individual separators from said stack into a positioned basket to rest on said separator supports, means to raise said baskets step by step at their article receiving position, means to assemble articles in superimposed relation in a basket with a separator above each article, an ejector in a basket, 'a transfer box, means to actuate an ejector to move an assembled unit of articles and separators from a basket into a transfer box, and means to move an assembled unit from a transfer box into a carton.

8. In a packing machine, an endless conveyor, baskets carried by said conveyor, means to assemble articles in said baskets with a separator above each article below the uppermost article, transfer boxes, carriages for said transfer boxes, means to move articles and separators from said baskets into said transfer boxes, carton holders, said transfer boxes being movably supported from a lowered to a raised position, and means to raise said transfer boxes to transfer the articles and separators into cartons.

9. In a packing machine, an endless conveyor, baskets carried by said conveyor, means to assemble articles in said baskets with separators above all of the articles below the uppermost article, transfer boxes, carriages for moving said boxes, means to move articles and separators from said baskets into said transfer boxes, carton holders, an endless conveyor to revolve the carton holders and means to move the transfer boxes to transfer assembl d articles and separators into cartons which have been brought into inverted position by said carton holders.

HERMAN L. DIEHL. 

